Illinois Basketball Offers Under-the-Radar 2026 Prospect From Iowa

The Illini became the first Power 4 school – and just fourth overall – to offer Landon Davis, a 6-foot-8 forward

Waukee Northwest's Landon Davis (30) shoots a free throw on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mere hours after Illinois offered its first prospect in over two weeks (6-foot-5 combo guard from the class of 2027), coach Brad Underwood extended yet another scholarship – this time to a soon-to-be senior from Iowa.

After a great conversation with Coach Underwood and Coach Hamer I am blessed to receive an offer from the University of Illinois #AGTG pic.twitter.com/udkUm8QhYY

— Landon_Davis (@landonmdavis16) July 2, 2025

Landon Davis, a 6-foot-8 forward who attends Waukee Northwest, picked up the Illini offer on Wednesday. And in a surprise to no one, his premier skill is shooting the rock from deep. But far from a one-trick pony, Davis has creative footwork around the rim, is an adequate athlete and an excellent cutter. Defensively, he utilizes his length and size to send back shots at a high rate.

Illinois’ offer is the first one that Davis has received from a high-major program – and just the fourth overall. His other three offers all come from squads residing in the Missouri Valley Conference, including Drake, Illinois-Chicago and Northern Iowa. 247Sports lists Davis as the nation’s No. 187 recruit and the fourth-rated player in the state of Iowa.

Although Davis isn't exactly a self-creator for the time being, his shooting and defense are translatable enough for him to be an impact practice player at the Power 4 level. And in time, he figures to develop into a useful rotational player – and perhaps even more.

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